Time Well Spent
by Gothic984
Summary: Caleb continues to obsess with Selena, while Gail becomes increasingly concerned with his actions.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own any American Gothic characters, this is a work of fan fiction. This story is a continuation of my previous stories and follows on from Just A Taste.

It was cold late evening in the small quiet Town of Trinity South Carolina. The wind blew intensely slamming violently against the large windows of the extravagant Buck Mansion, as though some invisible force was trying to break through the strong walls of the property; however, the home of the most highly regarded family in Trinity was tightly secured for the night.

Gail Buck stared intently out of her bedroom window, watching the dark garden knowingly. She sensed the mysterious eyes on her and a strong urge to confront her stalker came over her; however, she knew better than to leave her secure home when it had been locked up for the night and resigned herself to just watching. When she felt a strong hand reach around and grip her neck tight, she let out an sharp breath and leaned further back, allowing her back to rest against the toned chest behind her.

Lucas inhaled deeply when he heard her sharp intake of breath and released her neck gently, trailing his hand down her neckline slowly then cupping her breast teasingly. 'One of these days I'm goin' to take an interest in where your attention lies Mrs Buck' he reprimanded, running his lips over her ear softly and nipping it playfully.

Gail had been finding it hard to focus recently and she felt herself becoming distant more frequently these days. Her new acquaintance Joshua had well and truly intrigued her, meaning that her husband was not receiving as much attention as he once did and that it never worked out well when her husband became suspicious. 'I'd love it if you took an interest in where your eldest Son's attention lies, maybe that way I wouldn't have to visit the injured woman he put in Hospital to ensure that she doesn't try to get him arrested' she retorted, still not fully able to comprehend what Caleb had done to his Teacher and happy to shift Lucas' focus from her.

Lucas ran his thumb over his wife's hard nipple and bit his lip in an attempt to control his urges, as he circled it teasingly and kissed her bare shoulder seductively. 'I've told you before Love, she won't be sayin' a thing-' he started amused.

'Oh yes, the removed tip of her tongue' Gail interrupted unimpressed and sighed. 'Except Matt managed to repair that little issue and she'll be singing like a bird in no time'

Lucas pulled the strap of her vest down slowly and bit her shoulder hard, then ran his tongue over the wound and moved his hand to her stomach, pulling her closer into him. 'Selena ain't stupid, she knows better than to antagonise the boy any further. She won't want a retaliation' he advised, then let out a low moan when she pushed her behind into his hard manhood teasingly.

Gail smiled at her ability to turn him on without having to make much effort, they were both still madly attracted to each other and she sensed his desire for her radiating off of him. 'Maybe I'll get tired of the growing male ego around here and retaliate myself, a little female dominance may be what's required to bring some order around here Sheriff' she mocked, feigning an innocent tone then laughed when he pushed her closer to the window and pulled up her skirt.

'The female interference is what got the boy confused in the first place Darlin'. Had you and Merlyn Ann allowed me to take him under my wing sooner, there wouldn't have been such an outburst' Lucas stated casually and parted her legs effortlessly, before caressing her behind softly.

'Outburst? You mean the outburst that you authorised and even provided a lift to the property?' Gail asked knowingly, in disbelief of the comment. 'I'm worried Lucas, he shouldn't be like us-'

'The boy needed a release, just like we all do. There's nothin' to be concerned about' Lucas shrugged, then pushed his hard manhood inside of her, growing tired of the conversation and let out a loud moan.

Gail closed her eyes and placed her hands on the window to steady herself, then heard the wind slam loudly against the glass and opened her eyes. As she had suspected, Joshua was watching her from behind a tree and she let out a small moan as Lucas began pushing himself deeper inside of her, wanting to take over all of her.

Lucas sensed her attention shift from him momentarily, then thrust his hips into her hard and smiled at her pained moan. He knew that there was something on his property which had taken an interest in her, he sensed it clearly and although his first instinct had been to snuff it out, he was intrigued with how she would handle that kind of attention.

There was a time not so long ago when Gail Emory would have ran from anything that she could not explain or prove simply, the Reporter inside of her always searching for hard evidence in her pursuit of the truth; however, Gail Buck appeared to have opened herself up fully to a whole host of unexplained things and Lucas was curious to see how this would play out.

Gail sensed his intrigue in her and shook her head amused, turning all of her focus back to her husband. She had allowed Lucas to take every part of her over the years and in ways that she never would have imagined she would be able to accept. Gail had given herself to him fully, regardless of the consequences and there was no question of who she belonged to. If Joshua wanted to watch her then so be it, her soul was consumed by the man behind her and nothing could take her attention away from him for long.

Lucas sensed her full attention return to him and her desire was unmistakable, she wanted the real him and not the part of him which was careful not to break her. He felt his twin come to life inside of him and try to claw it's way out, willing her darkness to be released to meet him. Without having to say a word, he felt a dark shadow engulf the room and knew she had let go fully, enabling him to release his twin without concern and take her in the raw way that he had been shielding her from while she was still recovering from the birth of their Daughter.

'Luckily I heal nearly as quickly as you do Master Buck' Gail teased, reading his thoughts and feeling his dark half closing in on her.

'Luckily we have the room all to ourselves for a change, so we can have some real fun' Lucas smiled devilishly and licked his lips seductively before forcing himself deeper inside of her, causing her to call out in pain once again.

* * *

Caleb turned his music up when he heard his Step Mom's yell, knowing it was not their intention to disturb the children. He trusted that his Father would not hurt her and this must just be a part of the games that they often played with each other, not making him privy to the details.

Caleb had decided to keep his Brother and Sister in his room to enable his parents to have some real quality time together, attempting to show his Step Mom that he was not all bad. He thought that this was the least he could do due to Gail refraining from punishing him after what he had done to his Teacher and hoped it would keep her on his side. It had been a strange time for him, experiencing the excitement of fully letting go of his pent up feelings and he was thankful that Gail was not treating him any differently, seeming to accept him for who he was.

He spotted his younger Brother Luke watching him curiously from his crib and shook his head in exasperation, then relented and picked him up. His Father had warned him about interfering with the babies routines when he offered to keep them with him tonight; however, he could not just sit here while Luke watched him strangely, it was creepy and it made him uneasy.

'Club!' Luke exclaimed happily, when his Brother finally picked him up and carried him out of his prison. He hated being restricted to his crib and was intrigued as to why his surroundings had changed, in addition to wondering where his parent's were. He had also been sensing a shift in his older Brother recently and felt like there was something he wanted to be a part of. 'Momma?' he asked confused, instinctively craving her attention.

'Busy with Daddy, you're fine with me' Caleb reassured him when he began to struggle in his arms anxiously. Luke had really started to show his personality recently and Caleb was finally starting to connect with him properly, making him feel fully part of a strong family.

'Club' Luke pointed at him affectionately and hugged him tight when he realised his parents were not here to restrict him, wanting to play with his older Brother even though it was way past his bedtime.

It amused Caleb that his Brother was unable to pronounce his full name yet and he was no stranger to speech issues from his siblings. Although he was the youngest child when he was growing up, he had to deal with Merlyn's inability to form the right words and this reminded him of a simpler time when it had only been the two of them. 'Caleb' he said slowly, trying to help Luke form the correct word and thinking of his older Sister fondly.

'Club!' Luke screamed excitedly and placed a wet kiss on his lips, then smearing the wetness around his mouth.

Caleb feigned a disgusted look, then threw Luke on the bed playfully and started tickling him. He loved his Brother unconditionally, regardless of the ill thoughts that his dead Grandfather Malcolm had tried to plant in his mind and now that Luke was getting bigger, he was able to play properly with him.

Luke giggled and screamed wildly, attempting to roll free of Caleb's roaming fingers and then tensed as something strange started tugging at his mind.

Caleb sensed the intruding feeling at the same time as Luke and picked up his Brother protectively, then walked over to the bedroom window instinctively and peered out into the garden. It took a moment for his vision to adjust to the darkness outside, then he caught sight of the strange figure staring up at his parent's bedroom from behind a tree. When Luke tapped his small hand on the window loudly, Caleb's eyes grew wide as the dark figure turned towards him and stared at him curiously, causing his darkness to begin to stir within him.

Caleb held the strange figures gaze for a moment, then lost control of his darkness and was propelled to a brightly lit parking lot. His vision appeared off as the street lights loomed higher above him than they usually would and he sauntered casually towards the large white building ahead of him. Caleb recognised the Hospital instantly and continued on his path confidently, there were Nurses out in front of the building smoking; however, they did not pay him any attention and he sneaked discreetly through the tall grass until he reached his desired destination and jumped up onto the small window ledge.

Selena lay quietly in her Hospital bed staring up at the ceiling above her, attempting to tune out the pain that she felt all over her body. She was overdue her medicine and her pain had gone from a dull ache to a burning sharp sensation throughout her body, causing her heart to race. As she lay there alone waiting for any sign of acknowledgement from the Nurses on duty, she could not help but wonder whether the lovely Mrs Buck got this kind of treatment. She doubted it, Gail Buck was a highly respected person in this Town and people would fall over themselves trying to please her, just like she suspected her husband did.

The thought of the high and mighty Lucas Buck being controlled by a woman made her laugh, she had tried to tie that old horse down in the past using so many unusual methods; however, it appeared that all it took was a long boring skirt and an innocent reputation. Had she have known that when she was younger she would have made different choices or at least have taken out the lovely Miss Emory, as she was previously known, before Lucas had become attached to her and bore his children herself.

Caleb sensed her thoughts and did not appreciate the way that she was thinking about his parents. Her insinuation about hurting his Step Mom caused his anger to flare up inside of him and he yelled out her name before he could stop himself.

Selena heard a quiet meow and her eyes opened wide in terror when she spotted the familiar small black cat on the window ledge. She tried to call for help; however, the surgery on her tongue meant that she was still unable to talk and she thrashed wildly in the bed, desperately trying to find the button to call for a Nurse.

Caleb watched her confused for a moment, then realised that he was not himself right now and jumped down elegantly into the Hospital room. He began walked towards his Teacher, purring as he got closer and jumped onto her bed, then stared deep into her eyes and primed his claws viciously.

'Club!' Luke screamed and shook his Brothers face until he returned back to him, then pointed at his Sister crying in her cot. 'Gal!' he advised concerned, trying to reach her to calm her, but unable to break free of his Brothers stiff hold on him.

Caleb was suddenly brought back to his bedroom with his siblings and placed Luke down on the bed when he realised that his Sister was crying. Before he had a chance to reach her, Gail burst through the door fastening her dressing gown securely and picked up her baby girl, holding her protectively to her chest.

'Son?' Lucas asked abruptly, both angry and concerned at the interruption from their Daughter when he thought that Caleb was looking after his younger siblings.

Caleb tried to think of something to say to explain his lack of attention; however, his mind went blank and he just held his head down low. He sensed that he was about to get a scolding by his Father, then Luke pulled at his arm and reached for him, prompting Caleb to pick him up.

'It's alright' Gail advised in a soothing tone, her concern disappearing when she saw Luke being cared for by Caleb. 'We shouldn't have expected you to be able to focus on them both, you're just a boy...You've done good taking care of Luke and we really appreciate it' she smiled warmly, then placed a soft kiss on Caleb's and Luke's forehead before returning to her room with the baby.

Lucas watched his wife take his Daughter Gail to their bedroom and shot Caleb an unimpressed look. 'Busy just takin' care of that one huh?' he asked suspiciously, then heard his Daughters cries disappear and decided to return to his wife to see if the remainder of their fun could be salvaged.

Caleb nodded his acceptance of his Fathers desire, confirming that he was fine with Luke and let out a relieved breath when his Father left. 'That was close' he advised Luke and walked back towards the window curiously. When he spotted the dark figure smile devilishly at him, he closed his curtains and decided the safest option for him was to remain out of trouble and to focus solely on his Brother.

Joshua let out an amused laugh before turning his attention towards the master bedroom and continuing to watch the object of his obsession closely.

-To be continued-


	2. Chapter 2

Lucas stepped out onto his side porch wearing only a pair of black pants and holding two mugs of freshly brewed coffee. He smiled as the wind travelled over his bare chest, unfazed by the cold and approached the wooden rail to survey the grounds of his property casually.

Billy Peele was asleep on the large porch chair with a thick blanket pulled over his body, in an attempt to garner some warmth. He had been out late last night drinking with his Secretary, as Selena was still in the Hospital. In his drunken state this had been the most logical place for him to settle down for the night, after his bad judgement of fooling around with his Secretary.

Lucas closed his eyes when he heard Billy's loud snore cut through the peaceful sounds of his deserted garden, then moved closer to his friend and slammed a mug of coffee down on the table in front of him, smiling devilishly when the man jolted awake in a fright. 'Long night friend?' he asked amused.

'You don't know the half of it' Billy sighed tiredly, then held his delicate head carefully and reached for the large mug of coffee for some much needed caffeine.

'Oh I bet I can guess...you finally get into that pretty brunette in your office?' Lucas asked smugly and sat down on the large chair to the right of where Billy was.

Billy thought for a moment and shook his head in disbelief of his actions. 'Get into is a tricky term' he advised, not wanting to talk about his poor judgement.

'Then enlighten us' Gail requested sweetly, as she entered the porch with her thick dressing gown wrapped around her body tight and headed towards her husband, then picked up his mug and brought it to her lips while feigning a hurt look.

'I could never forget about you Love, especially after last nights antics but there was someone else who required the caffeine more at this moment in time' Lucas explained softly, then smiled when she handed him his drink and straddled him openly in front of Billy.

Billy realised that he had taken Gail's drink and cursed at himself for assuming it was his. 'I didn't mean to intrude-' he started, trying not to look at the couple as Lucas parted her dressing gown and began moving his hands over her body.

'Oh intrude away, I'm intrigued about what you did and how you ended up on our porch in the early ours of the morning. Luckily I was a little restless myself and spotted you, otherwise you would've froze out here without that blanket' Gail advised whilst still looking at her husband and gave Lucas a playful wink when he looked confused over her restlessness.

Billy had been so drunk last night that he had not realised anyone had come out to him with a blanket and felt even worse for intruding on their property. Once again he had proven himself to be a burden and really did not know what the point in him being around was these days.

'My wife asked you to enlighten us friend, not to get lost in your self pity' Lucas interjected, when he sensed Billy was spiralling and gripped Gail's hips tight, pulling her closer onto his lap.

Gail smiled at her husbands impatience and stroked his bare chest affectionately. She never understood how he could not feel the cold, it concerned her at times; however, she loved seeing his handsome figure regardless, especially when he was as relaxed as he was now.

Billy glanced at the pair and his mouth dropped open slightly when he saw Gail run her hands up Lucas' chest slowly, he bit his lip when Lucas could not prevent a low moan as she dug her nails into his skin playfully and gave himself a mental shake in an attempt to regain control of himself. 'It's nothin' you all need to be concerned about, I just had a lot to drink after an incident with my new member of staff-'

'Then stumbled and fell into your Secretary?' Gail interrupted sarcastically, tangling her fingers into her husbands caramel blonde hair and pulling his head back teasingly.

'Technically only part of him fell into her mouth' Lucas corrected, amused by his wife's playfulness and running his hands up her outer thighs affectionately.

Billy let out a loud sigh and shook his head in irritation. 'If you all know what happened, why are you harrassin' me?' he asked defensively.

'Oh sweetheart, he thinks this questioning is me harrassing him' Gail said to her husband amused.

'If you think this is harassment, just wait til she get's really interested and puts her professional hat on...you wouldn't stand a chance' Lucas laughed and kissed her chin softly.

Gail bit her lip playfully and laughed. 'You barely stood a chance, you're lucky you had something good to offer me back when you were on my radar'

'I have somethin' to offer you now' Lucas teased and pushed his hips up so she could feel his hard manhood between her legs.

'Seriously? You're gonna do this when I'm right here?' Billy asked in disbelief, attempting to hide his arousal.

Lucas tangled his hand in Gail's hair and pulled her head back slightly, then began sucking her neck seductively. 'Oh it appears she likes an audience these days' he said knowingly and smiled when she tensed at the comment.

Gail stared deep into his eyes, trying to figure out what he knew; however, he was giving nothing away. Lucas could not have seen Joshua last night, surely he would have questioned her if he had.

'See friend, you ain't the only one who keeps secrets in your relationship' Lucas flatly, sensing her guard come up.

Gail narrowed her eyes at him for a moment, not understanding his sudden turn and unimpressed that he was choosing to bring this up now when he had her alone last night. She let out a small laugh as she carefully stood up, then moved towards Billy and lifted up the blanket, perching herself on his knee and leaning gently into his chest. 'Don't you think it's rich how a man who prides himself on secrecy and deceit can preach about other people keeping secrets?' she asked Billy calmly, ignoring how tense he was due to their closeness.

Billy had previously had strong feelings for Gail in the past and had been careful to push them deep down, especially due to his friendship with Lucas; however, now that she was laying in his lap under the thick blanket with him, his heart began to pound and he felt his strong affection for her return instantly. 'I erm-' he stuttered blankly.

'So you think me shieldin' you from certain aspects of my role here in this Town gives you free reign to openly keep secrets from me?' Lucas asked seriously, disregarding her attempt to rile him up with Billy, knowing she had no interest in that man at all.

'You really believe you've been protecting me by keeping your extracurricular activities quiet? Had I have known of them sooner Sheriff, I may not have committed to for better or for worse' she responded cattily, unable to hide her irritation.

Lucas laughed in frustration and shook his head. 'Tell me Doc', you think she would've chose someone else above me even if she understood my extracurricular activities?' he asked Billy, knowing Gail was meant to be his regardless of what information he had chosen to share with her in the past.

'What activities?' Billy asked confused, trying to ignore how good it felt to have Gail this close to him and focused on their words.

Gail snuggled into Billy and pulled the blanket tighter to her body, smiling mischievously at her husband. 'Oh his deals, there's so many of them and all the poor souls affected' she advised honestly and stared at her husband smugly, waiting for his next move.

Lucas narrowed his eyes at her, not actually expecting her to reveal anything to an outside party and took in a deep breath. 'You're one of the affected Love, you wanna reveal what I helped you find out and what you gave willingly in return?' he asked coldly, knowing she kept the information he had shown her about her parents quiet and barely wanted to acknowledge it herself.

Gail held his gaze for a moment, feeling her darkness begin to stir inside of her and then watched her husband confused as he got up and ripped the blanket off of her abruptly.

'I'll tell you what, why don't we just show him?' Lucas asked bluntly, unable to keep his dominance pushed down any longer and pulled her up, dragged her to the wooden rail and hitched up her nightdress.

Gail let out a shocked laugh as he lifted her up, forced her legs around his waist and pushed her against the railing hard. 'Oh this isn't how it went Master Buck, why don't you take me to the spot where it first went down and we'll give him a real show?' she asked sarcastically, calling his bluff.

Lucas was about to carry her off the porch to the spot where they first consummated their union, not caring about Billy's presence; however, he heard the door open and the small sound of feet approaching their position, then let out an agitated breath and placed her back down carefully. 'Next time Mrs Buck' he promised quietly, so the children could not hear.

'Oh I'll be waiting Soulmate' she advised sweetly, refastening her dressing gown and shooting Billy a playful wink.

Billy got up from his seated position before the children could see the state of him and walked towards his friends, staring out into the garden so not to alert the children to any discomfort he was feeling. 'You two are damaged and need professional help' he advised them, then shook his head and walked further into the garden to clear his mind.

Lucas trailed his hand down Gail's back and leaned into her closely. 'He's not wrong you know?' he whispered and placed his hands affectionately on her hips.

'But you are for not trusting me' she advised disappointed, shrugging off his hands then made her way to Caleb and took her Daughter from him before heading back inside.

* * *

Selena sat up in the uncomfortable hospital bed, staring at the closed window to her right. She had been unable to sleep after that strange cat had visited her last night and she had been on guard since the early hours of the morning, expecting it to return and cause some sort of mischief.

Selena did not know what she had done to deserve the things that were happening to her, she did not believe herself to be a bad person and the choices she had made in her life were to assist the man that she thought cared for her. She understood now that she had trusted the wrong man and she had tried to change her ways, making an effort to remain loyal to a good man now. Selena had slipped a few times, as most people were creatures of habit; however, ultimately she had tried to be a good girlfriend to Billy and focus on teaching her class in an attempt to realign her priorities.

Being stuck in this Hospital yet again made Selena realise that she had no-one. None of the children she taught had bothered to check in on her, Billy's visits were sporadic and the only constant she had was Matt Crower, who had to see her as he was her Doctor. The only other regular presence around her was Caleb and that was not a visitor she wanted. The boy was bad, she may have made a few comments previously in front of her class; however, what he had done to her was pure cruelty and she had no idea how to make him stop.

A small knock on the door made her jump and she surveyed the room frantically, hoping the thought of Caleb had not somehow brought him to her. She relaxed slightly when the door to her room opened and the strange young women who Gail called her Cousin popped her head around the door.

'Am I disturbin' you?' Merlyn asked pleasantly, hoping she had not awoken Selena.

Selena laughed bitterly and shrugged, before signalled for the girl to enter and staring at the dull walls around her.

Merlyn sensed the tension within Selena and glanced around the room, wondering what had gotten her so on edge. When she was satisfied that they were alone, she closed the door and lifted up a large bouquet of flowers. 'I know it's painful for you to talk, so just listen' she ordered sweetly, not wanting to cause the woman before her any unnecessary discomfort. 'It's awful what happened to you, I can't even imagine how you're feelin' Merlyn continued, as she found a vase in a small cupboard and placed the flowers in it carefully. 'From what I've been able to gather, your accident was a little strange but I've been assured it's not Lucas up to his old tricks'

Selena sat upright at the name of her ex and stared at the girl suspiciously. People did not talk so freely about Lucas Buck and this girls sudden appearance, in addition to her connection with the Buck family caused Selena to be wary of her presence here.

Merlyn saw her movement out of the corner of her eye and laughed. 'Gail said you'd be suspicious of me and told me to let you know that she was trying to have your back, like you had hers with Lucas' Candidate, whatever that means' Merlyn shrugged, not liking the secrets her Cousin was keeping for her.

Selena thought for a moment, then relaxed. 'Gail-' she started, in a husky pained voice.

'Don't' Merlyn interrupted her, knowing from Matt that Selena needed to rest her tongue as much as possible. 'I'm here to make sure you're alright, apparently your partner hasn't been as supportive as he should so Gail sent me to check in on you and I'll be popping by every day before and after work'

'Why not her?' Selena asked in a strained voice, ignoring the girls order.

'Because she's got a whole host of children to look after and she's trying to keep an eye on someone, who she won't tell me about' Merlyn shrugged, then smiled at an old Nurse who entered the room and provided a jug of water for Selena.

Selena pondered over this young woman's presence and shook her head in exasperation, she really was a charity case if a stranger had to be forced to visit her and this only confirmed how worthless she now was.

'Oh stop feelin' sorry for yourself, I'm not a stranger and no one forces me to do anything' Merlyn snapped, reading her mind and being in no mood for self pity. 'Truth is the details of your accident isn't plausible, Gail knows this too and trusts that I'll be able to ward off whatever bad luck you appear to have followin' you. When I'm not here Matt will be so, we have you covered. All you need to do is stop bein' so suspicious of the people who are helpin' you and get yourself better'

Selena was about to protest, not impressed with being made out to be a victim, then felt the pain in her tongue and realised that a victim was exactly what she was. The young women before her was M, she knew this and had chosen to address her like a stranger as she was always cautious of other women. She supposed she had no one else willing to give up their time to ensure that she was alright and forced a smile, showing her acceptance of M's presence.

'Well good, now all that's settled let's see what's goin' on in the world' Merlyn smiled and reached for the remote to turn on the small Television in the corner of the room.

Caleb sat on his bicycle watching Selena's window from the Hospital parking lot, not impressed with his Sisters decision to interfere. He continued to watch the window angrily for a moment, then forced a smile when Rose caught up to him after their detour and started heading towards their School.

* * *

Lucas sat in the Juniper House botanic gardens, watching the crazy people all around him stare blankly at the flowers. This place always amused him, the sane people he arranged to be housed here were all locked up for their honest ramblings and the genuine people with mental incapability roamed the place free to entertain themselves. It always amazed him at how effortless it was to convince the professionals here that his way was the right way and his suggestion to allow an unqualified Nurse to be given a high ranking role here was no exception.

After his wife had left him alone with Billy, he established the real reason why his friend had been drinking last night and strangely it had nothing to do with his girlfriend being cooped up in the Hospital. Billy had witnessed a gross misjudgement by his newest member of staff, which resulted in the incorrect dosage of medication being administered and a near death situation. Billy was torn between his loyalty to him and the oath he swore as a Doctor, causing Lucas to make a pit stop here today to evaluate the situation.

Rita assisted a patient to the garden carefully, then let out a nervous breath when she spotted the Sheriff sitting alone on a bench. She felt her heart pounding in her chest and headed to him knowingly. 'I can't do this' she whispered nervously, when she sat down beside him and started playing with her hands.

'Oh come on, one small mishap with a patient doesn't mean you should hang up your ambitions. You want Izzy to see her Momma quittin' so easily?' Lucas advised, knowing the miscalculation had been due to a lack of confidence in herself rather than an inability to do the job right.

Rita stared at him confused when it appeared that he knew what had happened, then let out a small laugh and remembered that she was dealing with Lucas Buck.

'Yes you are and just remember that our deal still stands regardless of whether you thrive in your new found position or not, but imagine how humiliatin' it will be goin' back to the Hospital with your tail between your legs, or havin' to explain to my wife that you failed after she vouched for you' Lucas smiled charmingly, enjoying seeing the fear in Rita's eyes. He did not care whether she failed or not; however, he liked toying with his people when their doubts started to take hold, it was all part of the fun of his deals.

Rita thought for a moment and felt herself beginning to panic, she had spoken to Gail about her ambitions and Gail had in turn spoken to her husband. If she quit now before she succeeded she would feel like a failure for the rest of her life and she had no idea how her friend would react, considering Gail was the one who convinced Lucas to help her. 'I just feel like I'm drownin' here' she advised honestly, missing her support network at the Hospital.

Lucas inhaled deeply and nodded, feigning understanding and empathy; however, he lacked the ability to truly care about other people, unless it was someone close to him that was.

As it stood, Rita was just the wife of his Deputy and usually he would have no problem letting her drown, except that this was the deal Gail had instigated and that meant he would go the extra mile here if only for his wife. 'I'll tell you what, we all have bad days and you appear to be havin' more than one. I'll have a word with Doctor Peele and smooth over the little incident that occurred, then you can study a bit harder to ensure you understand your duties here. Maybe call on Matt Crower, he's a stickler for a bleedin' heart' he suggested, against his better judgement.

Rita missed Matt dearly, he was one of the few people who always wanted to help without an agenda and it had been hard to leave her position working with him to come here. She supposed that it was worth another try, providing she could enlist some help to ensure she was not making any drastic mistakes.

'Atta girl, I knew you'd come around' Lucas smiled charmingly, placing his hand on her knee and squeezing it tight when he heard her sharp aroused breath.

Rita sat still with his hand on her knee, savouring his touch for as long as she could, then let out a small sigh when he got up from his seated position beside her and dusted off his pants.

'Let's keep this little mishap between you, me and Billy. Ain't no one else need to be troubled by it, you understand?' Lucas asked in a calm tone, with an underlying order in the question.

Rita nodded obediently, having no intention of alerting Ben to her mistake or Gail.

Lucas smiled and shot her a playful wink. 'Good girl, you may come in handy yet' he advised smugly, amused at how little effort it took to convince her to follow his orders and left the botanic garden, leaving Rita to ponder over the best way forward.

-To be continued-


	3. Chapter 3

Rose walked down the quiet Hospital corridor, wondering why she had agreed to skip her last lesson to come here. As she watched Caleb smiling confidently at the sick people that he passed whilst holding a bouquet of flowers, she knew instantly why she had agreed to be here and cursed herself for being so taken with him.

'Come on Rose, this won't take long then we can go ridin'' Caleb called back to her, feeling the excitement rise inside of him the closer he came to his Teachers room.

Rose rushed up to catch him and gripped his arm to bring him to a halt. 'Why are we even here Caleb? I doubt Miss Coombs is gonna appreciate us ditchin' School' she advised, worried that her Mother would find out.

'Miss Coobs ain't gonna say a thing' Caleb smirked, picturing part of her tongue detached on the bedroom floor when he had finished with her. 'Besides, we're here to give her flowers and check in on her, ain't no reason for her to snitch on us'

Rose shot him a disapproving look, then rolled her eyes in frustration and continued to follow him. She sensed the excitement radiating off of him and felt a strange feeling come over her, suddenly resenting the woman in the room ahead of her.

'Jealousy doesn't suit you' Lucas whispered quietly, appearing behind her and smiling knowingly.

Rose jumped at the sudden appearance of the Sheriff and cursed Caleb for dragging her into this. Before she had a chance to warn Caleb that they had been caught, Lucas placed his hand around her mouth and watched his Son curiously.

Caleb was oblivious to anyone else around him, all he could focus on was the room in front of him. He shifted on the spot nervously and gripped the bouquet tightly in front of him, then opened the door and smiled devilishly at his sleeping Teacher before him. As he entered the room, his eyes focused on her still body and he moved quietly to her, peering down at her in her slumber. He felt his darkness rising inside of him and reached out his hand to touch her shoulder; however, he felt a sudden intrusion which caused him to freeze on the spot.

'Caleb?' Merlyn asked confused from the far end of the room, looking up from the book she had been reading.

Selena heard the name and jolted awake, then stared wide eyed at the devil looming over her. 'Hel-' she tried to shout, but the word got caught in her mouth and her whole body began to tremble.

'It's alright, it's only Caleb' Merlyn reassured her, as she got up from her seated position and moved towards her Brother curiously.

'Of course it's alright, I've just dropped the boy off to bring some flowers from her class' Lucas interjected pleasantly, assisting his Son instinctively.

Caleb had not realised that his Father was here and relaxed slightly when he heard his lie.

'Is that so?' Merlyn asked suspiciously, knowing something was always up when Lucas decided to get involved.

'That's right' Rose added, moving beside the Sheriff and standing tall, ready to defend her boyfriend.

Merlyn narrowed her eyes at the group, then sensed Selena's panic beginning to rise and sat on her bed protectively, having no idea what was going on here.

'I brought you these, it looks like you got hurt real bad' Caleb feigned a concerned tone as he lifted up the flowers and smiled wickedly when his Sister was not looking at him.

Selena began to thrash in the bed when Caleb stepped closer to her and Merlyn grabbed her hand tight, then stood up and placed herself between the bed and her Brother instinctively. 'She's not herself, y'all should go' she ordered sweetly, choosing to remain pleasant but making the order clear in her tone.

Caleb glanced at Lucas for help to get rid of his Sister and when his Father just shrugged, he let out a moody breath and stormed out of the room with Rose following him.

Lucas glanced at the retreating children, then approached Merlyn and peered over her shoulder at Selena laying defenceless on the bed. 'What's your purpose here M?' he asked curiously, putting extra emphasis on the fake name they used for her for Selena's benefit.

'That's none of your business Sheriff, now if you don't get outta here I'm gonna have to call Matt and I doubt you want him questionin' Caleb's sudden appearance here within School hours' Merlyn smiled knowingly, sensing they were all hiding something.

'Matt and not Gail? So she put you on guard duty?' Lucas asked suspiciously, realising his wife must be on damage control to ensure that Caleb does not injur Selena any more than he already has.

'If I told you that she had would you back off?' Merlyn asked, loosing her patience with him.

Lucas cupped her chin in his hand dominantly and tilted her head up to ensure that their eyes met fully. 'I would never step on my wife's toes beautiful, but outside of this room is fair game...you make sure you tell her that' he whispered smugly, then released his grip on her when he saw the anger flare up in her eyes and left the room laughing.

Merlyn hated his lack of respect for boundaries and felt Selena squeeze the hand that she was still holding. 'It's alright, you heard him...he won't go against Gail and you're safe here' she advised reassuringly, then let out a long sigh and reached for her mobile telephone.

* * *

Gail strolled casually around the perimeter of her property, running her fingers gently over the old tall wall which shielded the garden from outsiders. Caleb was in School, Lucas was at work and she had left her youngest children with Billy in the main Study, sensing he had needed a distraction from work and knowing that he would guard them protectively while she wandered the property with Gideon and Rocky.

As Gail came up the thick woods which led to the Buck family graveyard, she pondered over Billy's predicament and let out a small laugh. She required a distraction herself due to Caleb's obsession with Selena and she supposed that was why she was so accepting of Billy's intrusion. Gail was still unsure of how Caleb had caused the wounds that Selena had sustained; however, she knew that he had called on his darkness for assistance, that much was obvious and her husbands willingness to allow Caleb to continue in such a fashion concerned her.

'Not enough to cut off his fun it appears' Joshua said casually, as he leaned against a tree and revealed his presence.

Gail had sensed Joshua watching her since she exited the Mansion. The intention of this stroll had been to draw him out, suspecting that he would not be able to allow her to roam in peace for long. 'His fun, my fun, the end result is the same for me regardless' she shrugged and stepped into the secluded woods, ignoring the whispers from all around her.

'You really should be more mindful of where you wander, there are still things on this property that you don't understand and may not appreciate your presence' Joshua warned as he followed her slowly, keeping a short distance between them.

Gail laughed and continued walking casually through the woods, with both of her dogs in close proximity to her. 'I've been here a number of times before-' she started confidently.

'That was before you tortured poor Malcolm and intended on leaving him buried at the bottom of the Trinity River' Joshua interrupted, sensing the judgement of his peers from all around him.

Gail smiled sweetly and shrugged, feigning innocence. 'Technically I didn't lay a finger on poor old Malcolm, it's not my fault I have people who take offence when I'm targeted'

Joshua could not contain his laughter and applauded her ability to remain confident even when she was entering his hostile territory.

'This isn't your territory, it's my husbands and seen as he amended his will when I showed my loyalty to him, I'd be careful of how hostile your people are to me' Gail advised, reading his mind as she continued to make her way towards the familiar clearing ahead.

Joshua stopped for a moment, cursing himself for dropping his guard around her, then closed the distance between them and peered over her shoulder when she reached the clearing. 'That's right, I remember now. It started with Calvin and just watching as your love nearly choked him to death, then good ol' Mayor John stepped it up and you threw away your morals completely, closing your hands around your husbands and squeezing the life out of him...Now I appreciate a good moral break as much as the rest of them, but do you really think we'd allow a woman to take control Gail?' he asked amused, as he leaned in close and took in her sweet scent.

Gail inhaled deeply and turned her head slightly, her face coming close to his. 'Oh I did worse than that before I accepted my true darkness and after, but I do still have my morals so let's be truthful here, can you really say I've done anything bad to an innocent party?' she whispered calmly, not allowing his dominating presence to affect her.

Joshua stared deep into her eyes and smiled devilishly. 'You think that makes what you've done alright in the eye's of God?' he asked, unable to hide his intrigue of her.

Gail held his gaze and continued to stand tall, not allowing his closeness to faze her. 'Oh I don't believe God's eyes are anywhere near this Town Joshua' she responded sweetly, then took a step past the clearing and let out a long breath when she came upon the graveyard.

Joshua smiled and nodded respectfully at her take on things, then followed close behind her as she walked up and down the rows of blank graves in the open area he was so accustomed to. He watched as she only allowed a small amount of attention to each gravestone, indicated she had a plan and did not want to deviate too much from it.

'I really don't want control you know?' Gail advised honestly, truly having no idea how she would even function here without her husband.

'What do you want Gail?' Joshua asked casually, knowing that he was not the only interested party out here.

Gail remained silent for a moment, then inhaled deeply and stopped in front of the grave at the head of the family plot. 'Him...and answers' she sighed, staring down at Rosemary's grave sadly and smiling when Gideon returned to her and lay obediently at her feet.

Joshua watched her closely as he sensed her honesty, then stared around the area and projected a warning to any who dared interfere right now. 'Answers about what Gail?' he asked, wondering whether she truly had it in her to ask the right questions.

Gail could not contain her laughter, amused at this whole exchange. She knelt down in front of Rosemary's grave, opened her old brown rucksack and pulled out a small trowel, then began gently digging in the dirt. 'Any questions I have will be put to the Master of this property, he wouldn't take kindly to me going behind his back now would he?' she advised knowingly..

Joshua narrowed his eyes at her, confused for a moment and then let out a small laugh and shook his head. 'The Master gives the orders huh?' he mocked hurtfully.

'You tell me?' Gail asked sarcastically, as she continued on with her task and did not allow Joshua to goad her into an unnecessary reaction.

Joshua felt another presence tugging at him in warning, then rolled his eyes in exasperation. 'I guess we all have rules to follow' he resigned and knelt down beside Gail, curious as to what she was doing.

Gail glanced at him suspiciously for a moment, then took out a small bag of seeds and planted them carefully in the small hole that she had just created. 'Rules were meant to be broken, but a certain amount of loyalty is required and I am loyal to him' she advised honestly, trying to establish whether Joshua's continued presence was some sort of test.

'Even at the expense of Caleb?' Joshua asked casually, then felt to ground tremble underneath him and spotted Rosemary standing at the edge of the graveyard ready to step in if required.

Gail felt her rage flare at the mention of Caleb and instantly sensed her past self when she appeared. 'We're done here' she said, standing up abruptly and dusting off her long skirt.

'We've not even started Gail' Joshua advised her amused, then watched as she signalled both of her dogs to come to her side and headed back towards the Mansion.

* * *

Lucas sat in the front passenger seat of the police cruiser while Ben drove down Main Street, with Caleb and Rose sat quietly in the backseat. Although he was happy to come to his Sons aid, he did not appreciate being drawn to a place where Gail was clearly claiming. He had no desire to challenge his wife's authority right now, although a little game now and then between mutually skilled partners did have it's benefits. She had not long given birth and had gone through an ordeal, the last thing he wanted to do was provoke her right now.

'So you're sidin' with Mom?' Caleb asked in disbelief, reading his Father's unguarded thoughts.

'I'm pullin' rank and puttin' a halt on your unwise actions for the time bein'' Lucas stated, not caring about what Ben or Rose heard.

Caleb crossed his arms over his chest moodily, then shot Rose a warning glance when she looked curiously at them.

Ben's eyes moved to the rearview mirror to check on the children then he stared fixated on the road ahead, knowing better than to get involved in his Lucas' affairs.

Lucas sensed the obedience within the car and smiled dominantly. His wife had sent Merlyn to guard Selena while she was in the Hospital, nothing was said about when she was released and he would ensure Caleb had the freedom he required, should the boy wish to test his darkness further.

* * *

'And Lucas just left?' Gail asked confused, unsure why Lucas would back down so easily if he had a desire to hurt Selena.

'He said he wouldn't step on your toes there and wanted me to let you know' Merlyn shrugged, holding baby Gail on her knee and carefully feeding her with a bottle.

Gail thought for a moment, not trusting her husband when it came to Selena's well being and paced Judith Temple's old place of work. Merlyn had done well in renovating the space, especially with her lack of experience and it was nice to see that some of the neighbourhood children were taking advantage of the free facilities and playing in the Nursery.

'Is this hard?' Merlyn asked and held up the bottle for a moment, changing the subject.

'Breastfeeding?' Gail asked confused.

'Gettin' it into a bottle' Merlyn clarified and continued feeding the baby.

'There's tool's that come in handy' Gail shrugged then stopped in front of one of Judith's drawing's that Merlyn had framed and surrounded by flowers. She reached up to touch the frame which had been hung carefully on the wall and recoiled when she felt a small shock on her fingers. 'You still doting over Saint Judy?' she asked sarcastically, trying not to allow her dislike for the woman to show.

Merlyn sensed the hostility Gail felt for her Mother and shook her head in exasperation. 'I still love my Momma if that's what you're askin', but I guess you've got bad blood with however's lay with the almighty Lucas Buck, whether they wanted to or not' she responded cattily and continued to focus on the baby.

'Only the ones who act like victims when they went against their deal, you know like your Mother did? Don't act as though you really believe he went after her for no reason, you're smarter than that' Gail laughed in disbelief of her Cousins naivety, then waved pleasantly at Luke as he climbed onto a soft bean bag triumphantly and yelled for her attention.

'Lucas tell you that?' Merlyn asked angrily, not appreciating her Cousins take on the matter.

'It's not my take on anything, it's the truth and you really think Lucas talks about Judith to me?' Gail asked irritated and signalled for Luke to come to her.

Merlyn stood up carefully while still holding baby Gail and approached her Cousin cautiously. 'You're not actin' like yourself, since when do you blame rape victims for what happened to them?' she asked concerned.

'Again, she's not a victim and come on, you really think I wouldn't stand up for a woman if I truly believed that she was being targeted? I just think it's inappropriate to build a shrine for a woman who prided herself of her goodness when she obviously made a deal like the rest of us, but couldn't bare to pay up when the time came. God forbid you put up some current family pictures' Gail snapped and picked up Luke when he walked all the way on his own.

'God ain't here remember?' Joshua's smug voice whispered, as the wind blew in from an open window.

Merlyn gave off an involuntary shiver as she heard the faint voice, then turned towards Gail. 'Who are you talkin' to if not Lucas?' she asked suspiciously, unsure where this new found attitude had come from and very concerned for her Cousin.

'No one you need to concern yourself about. How's Selena doing?' Gail asked, changing the subject knowing she had said too much due to her inability to stop thinking about Joshua and Lucas' deals.

'Selena's petrified of bein' alone for some reason and you're hidin' important things from me. Which one do you wanna talk about first?' Merlyn asked bluntly, not willing to let her Cousin keep her in the dark any longer. She felt as though she was slowly being pushed out of the family and it was about time that she was allowed in the loop.

'You really want in Merlyn Ann?' Gail asked amused, in a voice much like her husbands. 'You've been happy living in your perfect little world with your Doctor boyfriend, shielded from every bad thing that's been going on in this Town. Do you really want to be dragged down by your Brother's drama yet again?'

Merlyn took in a sharp intake of breath and she stared at Gail concerned. It was not like her Cousin to be so frank with her and the fact that she had mentioned Caleb made Merlyn worry about what he was really doing at the Hospital today.

'Caleb's his Father's Son Merlyn, but unlike your perfect Saint Judy I have his Father's trust and Caleb's best interests at heart. Neither one would go against me if I really put my foot down' Gail advised calmly.

'So put your foot down! Don't you think Selena's been through enough?' Merlyn snapped, feeling the worry spread through her body and making her agitated.

Gail let out a long sigh and walked slowly towards the open window, then peered out into the desolate street and spotted Joshua watching them carefully. 'It's not my place to prevent a boy from growing' she said through gritted teeth, hating Joshua's smug smile.

'And if he kills her?' Merlyn asked in disbelief.

'Then we've both failed' Gail glanced sadly at Merlyn over her shoulder, then returned her attention to the street.

-To be continued-


	4. Chapter 4

Billy paced around Matt Crower's Office, admiring the simplicity of the role he had here in the Hospital. There were times when Billy wished he had been content with his position here, no political decisions to be made or higher responsibilities to be haunted by, Matt's position was high ranking enough to garner respect; however, low ranking enough to be able to leave the work in the Office when he left for the day. Billy envied the man's position right now, as he considered his own damned life

'So you're telling me that you think Selena will be better off at home, away from the medical care that she requires? Matt asked sarcastically, confused at the suggestion Billy had made.

Billy rolled his eye's at the question and let out a small laugh. This was not his suggestion, this was Lucas' and his friend had been very convincing. 'She'll be more comfortable in her own surroundings amongst her own things, which means she'll be able to rest easier and in turn heal quicker' he explained, just like Lucas had to him.

Matt thought for a moment and shook his head. Selena was making good progress after her multiple injuries; however, she had not been sleeping and she appeared more anxious recently without reason, causing him to be concerned over her mental well-being.

'I'll be on hand if she needs anything, I'm more than capable of takin' care of my girlfriend so there's no need to worry' Billy advised, just wanting to get out of here and back to his Secretary who was waiting for him at Jimmy's Bar. He liked Selena and at one point he had truly loved her; however, it was not in her nature to be faithful to one person and she was not loyal like Christie was, so he saw no reason to allow himself to be tied down solely to her.

'Are you willing to be on call 24/7?' Matt asked seriously, not believing Billy's commitment to the task no matter how much he tried to sell it.

'I have a new employee who wants more experience playin' Doctor and I'll be reachable 24/7 should any complications arise' Billy advised, forcing a reassuring smile for Matt. 'I am her next of kin don't forget, she can't speak properly for herself right now but I know she wouldn't wanna be here for long and I'm sure you've noticed how restless she's gettin' in that room Matt'

Matt let out a long sigh and rolled his eye's in exasperation, M was always telling him that he took on things that should not concern him at work and he supposed his protectiveness of Selena was one of those things. 'Fine, if you she willingly signs the discharge forms then I can't stop her from going with you' he resigned, realising that this meeting had made him late in checking on a patient.

Billy nodded his understanding as Matt ushered him out of his Office, then rushed to Selena's room alone where Lucas was waiting outside expectantly with the discharge forms.

* * *

Gail drove down Millers Avenue casually, watching the parents rushing to pick up their children from School. Her youngest children were secured comfortably in the backseat of her Mustang, along with Izzy who she had taken from Merlyn's Nursery in Goat Town.

After her run in with Joshua earlier and her conversation with Merlyn, Gail had wanted to get some normality back into her life; therefore, she had decided to get Rita from work accompanied by the babies, to save Ben a job later. Rita had been very grateful for her intervention when Gail interrupted her meeting with Billy, she was thankful that Gail had managed to convince Billy to allow her to leave early and now Rita sat quietly in the front passenger seat, watching the other parents go on with their usual routines.

'So, are you going to spill now or make me drive around all afternoon to get it out of you?' Gail asked sweetly, as she turned onto Mather Avenue to head away from the School and the increasing amount of traffic.

'I don't know what you mean' Rita replied nervously and continued staring out of the window.

Gail let out a small laugh and shook her head, then chose to remain silent. She had sensed the discomfort coming from her friend as soon as she pulled into the Juniper House Parking Lot, which is why she had chosen to interrupt the meeting that was taking place. Usually Gail did not care about such menial things when her life was so complicated; however, the secrecy between Billy and Rita had made her curious.

Rita waited for Gail to question her more, maybe scold her for not talking to her; however, she just kept her focus on the road and continued driving. Rita felt herself becoming anxious at the silence in the car, even the children were watching her closely and she did not like the attention being on her. 'It's nothin' really, it ain't even worth burdenin' you with' she said nervously, feeling her anxiety rising.

Gail sensed the tension building in Rita and knew the woman could not stand the silence. Rita was a simple creature, in some ways Gail envied her naivety; however, it made her easy to control and the woman was always eager to please, craving some kind of recognition or appreciation. Rita had not had the best upbringing, much like herself and the neglect she suffered from her demeaning family was demoralising.

If Gail had known her sooner, she could have built up her confidence in more appropriate ways rather than throwing her to the wolves and allowing her to make a deal with her husband; however, she had already made her choice and Gail could not go back on that now. It was a shame that Rita had to be dragged in to the darkness which consumed this Town, Lucas owned her now and judging by how uncomfortable Rita was in the meeting, it appeared that her service had already started.

'Fine!' Rita snapped, unable to stand the silence in the car any longer. 'Billy wants me to take care of Selena' she sighed and ran her hand through her hair in exasperation.

Gail smiled at Rita's inability to hold her tongue and winked at Luke in the backseat, who had been staring at Rita fixedly sensing his Mother required some assistance. 'Selena's got enough people taking care of her at the Hospital' she advised casually and turned onto the main road which led to the centre of Town.

'Well that's just it, she ain't at the Hospital no more' Rita responded concerned, not understanding what she had been dragged into.

Gail glanced at Rita confused for a moment, then returned her attention to the road. 'Of course she is, M was with her this mornin-'

'She ain't at the Hospital!' Rita interrupted in frustration, then spotted the look of warning on Gail's face and chose to reign herself in. 'What I mean is Billy got her discharged, said she's better off at home and that I could do with the extra experience in playin' Doctor' she said quietly and let out a relieved sigh when Gail smiled at her warmly, indicating she had not offended her with her mood.

Gail felt her darkness begin to stir within her; however, she forced her demeanour to remain calm and smiled at Rita reassuringly. 'I'm sure Matt wouldn't allow her to go unless she was ready' she advised pleasantly, not fully convinced by the statement herself.

'I'm sure you're right' Rita nodded, then suddenly noticed where they were and turned to Gail confused when she pulled up at the curb. 'What are we doin' here?' she asked concerned, just wanting to go home and think properly about what she had been ordered to do.

'I just need a few minutes, can you keep an eye on the rabble?' Gail asked sweetly, then got out of the car before waiting for an answer.

Gail was not stupid, her instincts had led her here as soon as Rita advised that Billy wanted her to take care of Selena and she knew exactly who was behind the order. As she entered the quiet Sheriff's Station, she disregarded Floyd as he started towards her and headed straight to the inner office. Before Floyd had a chance to catch up to her she opened the door to her husbands office abruptly and started at him seriously, disregarding the meeting he was having with Ben.

Lucas stared at Gail curiously and a small smile came across his lips. It had been a long time since she had visited him unannounced at work and this appearance was a pleasant surprise.

'Lucas I tried to sto-' Floyd started, then stopped talking when he saw Ben's look of warning.

'We'll leave you to it' Ben advised, feeling the tension instantly. He knew better than to get in the middle of these two and left the office, closing the door behind him to give them some privacy.

Lucas pushed the file he had been reviewing to one side, then stood up and walked casually towards his wife. 'This is a pleasant surprise, everythin' alright?' he asked curiously, as he closed the distance between them and placed his hands gently on her hips.

'Is there a reason it shouldn't be?' Gail responded softly, pushing him gently towards his desk and slowly unzipping his pants, before kneeling down in front of him.

Lucas watched her suspiciously for a moment, then let out a low moan as she released his hard manhood and kissed it softly without warning. He tangled his hand in her hair as she ran her tongue from the bottom of his manhood to the top teasingly, then nipped at his tip playfully. 'You couldn't wait?' he asked excitedly.

'This can't wait' Gail said sweetly, then took him in her mouth and began sucking intently.

Lucas gripped the side of the desk hard and bit his bottom lip as a strong bolt of pleasure surged through him. He sensed something was not right; however, his vision was clouded by the intense pleasure she was giving him and he was unable to think of anything but her right now.

Gail smiled at her ability to distract him and attempted to search his thoughts for what he had put into play, she cursed herself as she could not get through his desire for her and tried to push down her own desire, turned on by how much he was enjoying her attention. 'What are you up to?' she finally asked, removing him from her mouth for a moment and taking in a much needed breath.

'You're the one doin' something unexpected Love, should I be suspicious?' Lucas asked curiously, then let out a loud moan as she took him back in her mouth and began sucking again.

Gail savoured the taste of him in her mouth, unable to push down her desire for him. She quickened her movements, releasing him only to lick and nip his tip momentarily, then smiled when he erupted in her mouth and swallowed instinctively.

Lucas bit down on his fist in an attempt to control his volume as he exploded in her mouth, then pulled her up and began kissing her passionately.

Gail tangled her hands in his thick caramel blonde hair as he forced his tongue into her mouth, then yanked his head back hard and stared deep into his eyes. 'I don't know what you're up to, but you're clearly trying to test my patience' she advised calmly, attempting to push down her natural urge to straddle him on the desk.

Lucas sensed Rita outside in Gail's car and realised that she had found out about Selena's release quicker than he had intended. 'I wouldn't push you Darlin', not until I was sure you were fully recovered anyway, but I won't stop my boy being who he want's be' he said sternly, not allowing her to cloud his judgement when it came to Caleb.

Gail saw his demeanour change instantly and let out a small laugh. 'Alright, you keep corrupting your boy Master Buck. I'm just a simple nobody who shouldn't have an opinion on the matter after all' she said sarcastically, releasing her grip on him and stepping back.

Lucas had not meant to offend her and grabbed her arm as she turned to leave. 'You know that's not what I'm sayin', but the boy is growin' and you can't stop that Love' he explained softly, sensing her darkness close to the surface.

Gail stared up at him with irritation, hating his calmness over her Son turning into a murderer. 'You know what Soulmate, you're right. I don't think I'm fully recovered, in fact I don't think I'm recovered at all' she smiled sweetly, forcing her anger to remain caged.

'Gail-' Lucas stared, sensing where this was going and stroking her arm affectionately in an attempt to calm her.

'No!' Gail snapped, pulled her arm free of his grasp and squaring up to him fully. 'You want him to have freedom while he grows into something terrible, that's fine but don't expect me to bow to your every whim while I'm still recovering from a difficult childbirth...In fact, I'm thinking what you've just gotten out of me has zapped all of my energy, I doubt I'll be in any fit state to see to your needs tonight, or for the foreseeable future for that matter'

'You're bein' unreasonable' Lucas advised frustrated, feeling his own rage beginning to rise.

'And your being an Ass' Gail replied bluntly, then turned around and headed out of the office abruptly.

Lucas inhaled deeply and shook his head in exasperation, wondering why it was so hard for his family to fall in line.

* * *

Caleb stood excitedly outside of the large yellow door, which opened into the Kitchen of Selena's bungalow. His new companion purred quietly at his feet as it rubbed itself affectionately against his leg and waited for orders, hoping it would be allowed to play with the pretty woman some more. Rose was waiting for him further down the Street, he had convinced her that he wanted to ensure Miss Coombs had settled back into her home properly after being discharged from the Hospital and had been happy when she obediently followed his order to wait for him away from the property.

Dark thoughts were plaguing his mind, there were so many things that he wanted to do and the fact that his Father had arranged for his Teacher to return home indicated that he was free to experiment with his darkness. With all of the thoughts going through his mind, he was finding it difficult to settle on one thing and decided to just find his victim, then see what act suits his mood. The door opened slowly by itself, as though authorising his choice and he took a step through the threshold with the small black cat following his lead.

Suddenly, a strong hand closed around his wrist and dragged him back outside, causing him to curse out loud. He was about to release his darkness on the person who had gotten in his way; however, when he saw his Father standing dominantly beside him he just let out a long sigh. 'What're you doin' here?' Caleb asked confused, feeling the darkness within him stirring.

'I could ask you the same thing, it's comin' up to your curfew' Lucas advised sternly, sensing his Son's desire to challenge him.

Caleb was about to argue, then saw the look of warning in his Father's eyes and thought better of it. 'You never care if I'm late' he said moodily.

'But your Mom does and you need to start thinkin' of her for both of our sake's' Lucas informed him, then dragged him towards his car where Rose was waiting nervously.

Caleb shot Rose a look of betrayal and got into the car without saying a word.

Lucas smiled charmingly at Rose and placed her bicycle in the trunk of his car with Caleb's, then signalled for her to get into the backseat. He shot Selena's bungalow a look of irritation, then got into his car and started driving the children home, knowing this was not the night to test his wife.

* * *

Selena sat in her large comfortable bed, reading the up to date reports on her class that had been provided by their Substitute Teacher. She had returned home with Billy a few hours earlier and he had left her to get situated properly. Things had been quiet so far, making it easy for her to rest and started to see the benefit of her returning home rather than being in the Hospital.

Selena had been told that Billy and Rita would be playing Doctor on split shifts, to ensure that she had enough care and support. M and Matt also vowed to visited her to ensure that she was doing alright, which had been surprising to her. It made her happy that she had people who actually appeared to care about her well-being, she was not used to this kind of treatment. She had thought that this may have been a ploy orchestrated by Lucas; however, there was no evidence of any foul play and she was starting to finally feel at ease now that she was in her own surroundings.

'Well that's good, although you know better than to let your guard down so quickly' Gail advised flatly, as she leaned against the bedroom door casually and waited to be acknowledged.

'How did you get in?' Selena asked confused, cursing herself for not being as aware as she should be.

'The same way anyone with enough intent to hurt you would...quietly' Gail advised and moved closed to Selena, surveying the room curiously. 'Have you had any incidents or visitation's that I should know about?'

Selena shook her head slowly, knowing to whom she was referring to. 'The little demon has kept his distance since earlier, along with his pet' she said venomously, still feeling the pain from her detached tongue and resenting the boy for what he had done, even if she could not explain how he had managed it.

Gail nodded happily, it looked like her choice to withdraw her husbands control earlier in the evening may be the right way to motivate him to keep Caleb on a short leash. 'Glad to hear it, and Billy?' she asked curiously, wondering why he had been so easily convinced to assist Lucas and suspecting the man was losing interest in Selena.

'He's been working late but tried to visit me when he could in the Hospital, why?' Selena asked suspiciously.

'Just wondering how all of this is affecting him is all' Gail lied, choosing not to tell Selena about his new found play thing.

Selena nodded, sensing there was more to what Gail was telling her; however, she chose to remain quiet, thankful for what Gail had done to protect her.

'You know this whole thing about you returning home was Lucas right?' Gail asked casually, wanting to make Selena aware in case she was unable to prevent whatever game he was playing.

Selena had suspected this was Lucas previously but had convinced herself that it was not the case. Now she felt herself tense and become suspicious of his actions, wondering how Billy could have kept Lucas' involvement from her.

'Atta girl, I knew you weren't as soft as you were starting to seem' Gail advised and started to walk out of the room.

'Where are you going? You can't just leave' Selena asked frightened, not wanting to be alone.

'It's very late and you're lucky I came at all with the things I have going on' Gail sighed, purposely leaving Lucas with the children to drill her point into him.

'Trouble in paradise?' Selena asked cattily unable to stop herself, then saw Gail roll her eyes and forced herself to push down her resentment. 'Will you come back?' Selena asked quietly, hating the dependency she felt for the woman before her right now.

'I'm not Nurse, I have my own family and issues to attend to' Gail said coldly, angry at Selena as well as Caleb for how this was playing out, then left Selena with her guard up and returned to her car.

-To be continued-


	5. Chapter 5

Lucas pulled out of the School parking lot and drove down the busy streets carefully, children littered the streets trying to get as far away from School as they could and Lucas had no patience for their aimless wandering right now.

'You're quiet' Caleb stated casually, as he tossed his homework in the backseat and watched the children rush around playing with each other.

'I'm drivin'' Lucas said bluntly and turned off the main road, to avoid the fleeing children.

Caleb glanced at his Father for a moment, then let out a small laugh. 'This mood ain't got nothin' to do with Mom busyin' herself in the evenin' for the past two weeks has it?' he asked sarcastically.

'For your sake I'd hope not, considerin' desire to keep herself busy and surrounded with company is a punishment for your stunt at the Hospital' Lucas replied irritated.

'Which you were apart of' Caleb said defensively.

'After you'd already ditched School and roped that pretty little blonde of yours in as an accomplice...I mean what was your plan anyway? Get her in broad daylight in a crowded Hospital' Lucas snapped, unimpressed by Caleb's attitude toward the situation.

'I admit I didn't think it through at the time, but you got her out of that public Hospital so I'll be more careful next time' Caleb smiled mischievously, then opened the window when he spotted his small black cat waiting expectantly on the curb by a red traffic light and stroked it affectionately when it jumped straight through the window into his lap.

Lucas stared at the animal suspiciously for a moment, then let out a small laugh. 'I'm not convinced there's gonna be a next time Son, especially not with that stray of yours. You don't think your Mom would think twice about feedin' it to Gideon if she suspected any untoward behaviour?' he asked, amused at the thought.

'Nah, you wouldn't let that happen' Caleb shrugged confidently and continued stroking his cat.

'And what makes you think I'd choose that cat over her?' Lucas asked in disbelief of the comment.

Caleb turned towards his Father and smiled devilishly. 'You ain't choosin' the cat you're choosin' me...You've wanted me to embrace your side of the family for years, so why would you get on my case about it now?' he asked casually.

Lucas inhaled deeply and shook his head in exasperation at the question, if it was not Gail getting at him it was Caleb. Gail was playing a dangerous game with restricting his fun of late and his pent up urges were starting to affect his usual calculating was of thinking, causing him longer to consider the best way of handling the questions thrown at him.

'So you are choosin' Gail over me? Your own Son...wow,I didn't see that comin'' Caleb advised flatly and stared out of the window moodily.

'Firstly, she can give me somethin' you ain't come across yet Son and secondly, I ain't choosin' anybody-' Lucas started to explain.

'So take me where you know I wanna go Daddy...you know you want to' Caleb interrupted, knowing this leash around his neck was not what his Father truly wanted.

Lucas let out a long sigh and rolled his eyes in frustration. 'Just hold off wantin' to rush in half cocked for a minute and give me time to think. I may not have wanted you to have so many rules to abide by but there ain't just us in this family anymore, and me allowin' you to run in without a plan ain't gonna bode well for both of us' he advised and pulled up across the street from Selena's Bungalow, to allow his boy to plot his next assault properly.

Caleb stared at the bungalow confused for a moment, not realising this had been where his Father had been headed and felt his darkness start to stir excitedly within him. He smiled appreciatively at his Father, knowing that he was truly on his side and just stared fixedly on the bungalow considering his next move.

* * *

Ben Healy pulled up outside of Judith Temple's old sanctuary and smiled at how different it looked from the outside. He knew Merlyn had taken this place on as a project; however, he had no idea that she had put so much effort and money into it.

'Well, it's my money mostly but Merlyn went to all the effort of arranging everything' Gail advised pleasantly, reading his mind as she approached him from behind.

Ben turned towards Gail and smiled at her warmly, used to her uncanny ability to know what he was thinking. 'She's done so well, don't it cause you worry knowin' this was Judith's place though?' he asked curiously.

'It's her place now and she's made it completely her own' Gail smiled, walking up the steps with him to collect Luke and Izzy from Merlyn's Nursery.

'I can't believe I haven't been here since it was done up, I guess I've been shirkin' my duties in collectin' my Daughter' Ben scolded himself sarcastically.

'Well at least you're here now, that's more than I can say for Lucas' Gail laughed, linking Ben's arm gently and leading him to the large playroom where the Nursery was situated.

'Speakin' of Lucas are him and Caleb alright? I just passed them parked up outside of Selena's place and I thought Caleb would be steerin' clear of her considerin' how many accusations she's been throwin' out about him' Ben asked casually, attempting to hide his suspicion and not entirely convinced that Selena's accusations were unfounded.

Gail forced her demeanour to remain calm; however, inside she was seething and she felt her darkness begin to rise within her. 'My boy's are probably just checking in on her, you know Caleb would put the needs of others before his reputation and Lucas likes to be at the forefront of any encounter that could generate positive press' she forced a pleasant smile and squeezed Ben's arm affectionately.

Ben nodded and smiled, knowing how Lucas was and remembering how caring Caleb used to be when he got to know the boy after Gage Temple died; however, he also remembered the dark turn in his car when the boy took his gun and pointed it at him after Lucas had been buried. Caleb had two sides to him, much like Lucas and he hoped that he was not getting himself into any trouble. 'He's a good kid I guess, but he does always seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's a good job he has a Sheriff for a Father and a Reporter for his Mom' he stated casually and waved happily when he spotted his Daughter Izzy.

Gail's smile faltered slightly at the comment which she knew was not intended to offend; however, she could not help but feel hurt at his casual insinuation. She spotted Ben had noticed the change in her demeanour and tried to force herself to remain in control of her emotions, the last thing they needed was her causing him more suspicion about the accusations against her Step Son.

Before Ben had a chance to question the change in Gail, Luke screamed ecstatically sensing the discomfort in his Mother and came running excitedly to her. 'There he is' she smiled lovingly as she picked up her Son and hugged him tightly to his chest, happy for his diversion tactic. She did not know how Luke managed to know when she needed help, but was always thankful for his subtle interventions.

'Gail?-' Ben asked concerned, about to question her reaction to his comment as he sensed something off about her; however, she had already turned away and was heading out of the property.

'I gotta get back to Abe and little Gail in the car, you know that old man can't be left alone for long. Have a good one Ben and we'll talk soon' Gail forced a sweet tone, then rushed out of the property towards her car before he could follow her and cursed her husband for not seeing the suspicion in his Deputy.

* * *

Lucas sat at the head of the large table situated in the master Dining Room of his property and cursed his wife for insisting on inviting a host of people to their home this afternoon in an attempt to insert her dominance. He watched as she waited on them all, as though she was some servant that he had employed and her actions infuriated him possibly more than her choosing to neglect him. He would never expect her to wait on other people like this, she was too important for that and this charade of hers was starting to test his patience.

Gail finished placing the food on the large table and nodded her authority for her guests to begin eating, while she headed back to the Kitchen to check on dessert. She sensed Lucas' growing frustration with their populated home this afternoon and knew that he was ready to snap. The thought amused her and she knew that he would follow her, unable to hold his tongue.

'Adam and his family, Merlyn and Matt, Abe and his stray little girl Stacey, Billy...are you sure there ain't anyone else you wanna invite into my home without my permission Darlin'?' Lucas asked agitated and watched as she pottered around the Kitchen wiping down the surfaces.

'You don't think it's good for your next re-election campaign if you mingle with the Mayor who you openly shun at every chance you get?' Gail asked sweetly, ignoring his bad mood.

'I want my home back Gail' Lucas advised sternly.

'And I want the Caleb that I first met when I came back to Trinity, but we don't always get what we want do we?' she responded flatly and opened the oven to check on her cherry pie.

Lucas laughed and shook his head, then came behind her and slammed her against a cupboard. 'This game-' he started.

'Is frustrating I know, but it's necessary as you never learn. Can you really not see how Ben is already suspicious of Caleb's constant appearance at Selena's accidents?' she interrupted in a calm tone.

Lucas stared deep into her eyes, then lifted her up onto the wooden surface and forced his hand beneath her skirt. 'My Deputy is easily handled' he advised sternly and felt his heartbeat racing. 'You don't get to control everythin' Love' he whispered excitedly.

Gail let out an exasperated sigh when he forced her legs apart and ripped off her panties. 'And you don't get to control me Soulmate' she advised disobediently, then pushed him hard to create some space and jumped down from the surface.

Lucas stared at her angrily for a moment and ran his hand through his hair in frustration, then indicated that she was free to return to her guests. When she walked past him he grabbed her arm tight, dragged her to the small table at the back of the Kitchen, then parted her legs with his knees. 'I control all of you Gail, you seem to have forgotten that' he whispered in her ear, as he pushed her face down on the table and thrust his hard manhood inside of her.

Gail let out a surprised moan at the quick movement and cursed herself for not seeing it coming. He did not give her time to get used to his length before taking her hard and she had to bite down on her lips in an attempt to conceal her pained moans.

Lucas felt his dark urges take over, he knew what she desired most and she was never against this treatment regardless of how much she liked to remain in control at times. 'See what happens when you push me? The outcome will always be the same' he panted, reaching around to her sweet spot and playing with her instinctively.

Gail could not deny how much she craved his darkness and let out a small laugh. 'I wonder what the outcome would be if you and Caleb keep pushing me?' she panted, then reached up and tangled her hands in his hair before pulling him to her for a passionate kiss.

Lucas savoured the taste of her and continued to take her roughly. He understood why she was trying to control the situation and her concern for Caleb; however, he did not work well when backed into a corner.

'Oh poor you, I'm the one getting it from all angles and trying to keep our colourful activities hidden whilst taking care of a litter' Gail laughed in disbelief, reading his mind effortlessly while his guard was down.

'No one's askin' you to keep our activities hidden Love, in fact I'd rather you join in the fun' Lucas smiled mischievously, running his hand over her behind and spanking her hard.

'Our children need one sane parent Lucas' Gail advised through hoarse breaths, trying to be serious.

Lucas slowed his movements slightly and pulled her up so her back was resting on his chest. 'With your track record Love, I'd say I'm more sane than you are these days' he whispered playfully, then pushed her down and continued his fun.

Gail laughed at the comment and gripped the table tight. She felt her climax rising and did not have the energy or concentration to continue their discussion.

Lucas smiled when she resigned to his comment and gripped her hips tight. He leaned down and bit her shoulder when he exploded within her, then covered her mouth with his hand to stifle her cal as her orgasm came. 'See, I ain't so bad Mrs Buck. There's no need to punish me' he whispered, then nipped at her ear playfully before pulling out of her carefully.

'Oh is that right? The sweet and innocent Lucas Buck is always the wrongly accused?' Gail responded sarcastically and went to the sink to clean herself up, realising that her guests would be wondering what was holding them up.

'You think I care about what other people think?' Lucas asked, whilst straightening his clothes.

'I think you should if you want to protect your Son, as I'm done trying to keep you both out of trouble...You will not handle Ben in your usual way, you will leave him alone Lucas' she warned in frustration, then returned to her guests.

Lucas watched her leave and thought about her comments. If Ben was becoming suspicious of Caleb's involvement with Selena it would not be long before other people started to notice; therefore, it was not safe for his boy to make another move just yet. He let out a long sigh and shook his head at the situation they were in, then decided to play the good host so not to arouse further suspicion.

* * *

Caleb walked casually around the garden of their property, avoiding his Step Mom while he waited for Rose. He had decided to wander the property after their guests had left knowing that Gail was not happy about what he had done to Selena and not wanting to cause any animosity, so he walked around aimlessly until he came to the large fountain at the back of the Mansion. He had intended on assistant his Father in fixing the monument as his Step Mom loved it so much; however, so much had happened since then and it had slipped his mind.

'It's a shame you can't focus on what she desires, at least if you did you may stand a chance in convincing her to your side' Joshua advised in a relaxed tone, as he came from the woods at the back of the property.

Caleb stared at the strange man suspiciously, believing that he had been alone here and moved closer to him, standing tall to insert his authority. 'You ain't allowed here, this is my property' he said confidently, recognising the man from when he caught him watching his parent's bedroom a short time ago.

'Technically your name ain't on anythin' yet young Buck-' Joshua started amused.

'But mine is' Gail interrupted, unimpressed by his presence around Caleb and reached for Caleb's arm, pulling him behind her protectively.

Joshua laughed at her sudden appearance, clearly not trusting him around Caleb. For some reason he had not sensed her close and he should know better than to let his guard down. 'There was no harm meant Mrs Buck, I was merely makin' an observation to the young boy'

'About what?' Gail asked Joshua flatly.

'About you' Caleb answered and held her hand instinctively. 'Do you know this man?'

'Man?' Joshua laughed and perched casually on the gravestone at the back of the property, which signified an empty grave.

Gail let out a long sigh and shook her head in exasperation. 'He's no one you need to be concerned about, that's right isn't it?' she asked Joshua calmly.

'Oh absolutely...I'll be seein' you later Mrs Buck' Joshua teased mischievously, then headed back towards the woods and let them alone.

Caleb watched the man curiously as he left and stared at Gail confused. 'I don't like him' he stated honestly.

'How can you judge what you don't know Caleb? Just like you don't fully know your Teacher but have taken a strong dislike to her' Gail advised knowingly and started leading him back towards the front of the property, where it was safe.

Caleb followed her obediently, knowing better than to argue when his Father was not home. 'Are you mad at me for being me?' he asked her nervously.

Gail felt a sharp pain in her heart at the question and shook her head. 'I could never be mad at you Caleb, not for wanting to follow your urges but I am concerned' she sighed, stopping in front of the small gargoyle statue and sitting down on the bench close to it.

Caleb sat down beside her and stared at his hands. 'She humiliated me in class, then lied about it to you' he explained quietly.

'I obviously knew she was lying, but you trashed her windscreen with my baseball bat if I remember correctly...I thought that was the end of it Caleb' Gail advised calmly, careful not to scold him when he actually seemed to want to be honest with her.

'I hate her-' he started.

'No you don't' Gail interrupted knowingly and took his hand in hers lovingly. 'You know, I thought I hated a few people and I lost control a few times'

Caleb stared up at her confused and could see the honesty in her eyes. 'What did you do?' he asked curiously.

Gail thought about changing her tactic for a moment, then decided to remain straight with him. 'I hurt...permanently hurt a few people' she confessed, unsure of the best way to explain.

'You killed people?' he asked.

'Bad people Caleb, that's the difference' Gail explained, placing her arm around his shoulder and holding him close.

'How do you control it? The darkness I mean?' Caleb asked timidly, not wanting her to be disappointed in him.

Gail let out a small laugh and shook her head. 'You've seen me at times Caleb, I can't say that I really do control it but I have you all to take care of and I can't let anything get in the way of that'

'What if I don't want to control it?' Caleb asked honestly, feeling a strange sensation come over him and liking it.

Gail sensed the confident shift in him and glanced over her shoulder, spotting Joshua's smug knowing look from behind her. This change in Caleb was not Joshua; however, he knew that Caleb had something that she could not compete with inside of him and she hated that Joshua was right. 'You at least direct it at deserving parties...Selena has been punished enough' Gail advised, hating having to accept what was inside of him.

Caleb nodded his understanding, then spotted Rose waiting at the gate for him and stood up. 'I'll think about that' he said, willing to consider what she was trying to teach him.

'You better Caleb' Gail warned calmly, then signalled for him to go to Rose.

Joshua came up behind her when Caleb exited the property and sat down beside her. 'You really are smart' he complimented her.

'Excuse me?' Gail asked, not in the mood for his presence right now.

Joshua smiled and stroked her back softly, wanting to experience how she felt after watching her so intently for so long. 'There's no shortage of bad people in Trinity, you just gotta know where to look and gettin' him to focus on the truly bad people means more stories for you to cover, plus that little Teacher you agreed to protect may just get a reprise'

Gail let out a long sigh and stood up, resenting the fact that he thought she wanted to further her career at the sake of her Son. She did hope Caleb would realise there were plenty of bad people here and she had decided that if she could not stop him, she could at least direct him to the right places. 'You leave him alone, he has enough conflict to deal with' she warned him.

Joshua laughed and stood up. 'That boy can go kill a church full of people or a bunch of paedophiles for all I care, you know I'm only interested in you right now Mrs Buck' he advised, then smiled smugly when she shot him a look of disgust and watched as she returned to the Mansion.

-To be continued-


	6. Chapter 6

Lucas spotted Ben sitting peacefully with his family on a picnic blanket and laughing like they had no care in the world, as he walked through the park with his youngest children. He had taken little Gail and Luke to provide his wife with some much needed peace and he had hoped that he would run into his Deputy, after his conversation with his wife about his Deputies suspicions.

As Lucas steered the double buggy onto the grass carefully, Luke shot him a curious look and a devilish smile came over his lips when he sensed that his Father was up to something. Lucas shot Luke a playful wink before turning his attention back to the peaceful family picnic that he was about to intrude on and put on his best southern gentleman drawl. 'Good afternoon my good people, enjoyin' the recent calm weather?' he asked pleasantly and freed Luke from his restraints when the boy started to reach for Izzy.

Ben watched as Rita froze in terror at the sound of Lucas' voice and Izzy jumped up excitedly at the sight of her best friend Luke. His feelings for the family before him were somewhere between suspicion and affection; however, he stood up instinctively and shook Lucas' hand gentlemanly, then shot Rita a look which instructed her to remain quiet as he did not want to set off his Boss. 'We were just chillin' while Rita had a spare hour' he offered casually, always feeling the need to explain himself to Lucas.

'That's good, a family should spend time together. You get over that bother at Juniper?' Lucas asked Rita, knowing she had not told Ben about the incident and sensing her worry at his appearance.

'Bother?' Ben asked confused and turned towards his wife.

'It's nothin', it was just a issue with a patients medication is all' Rita explained timidly and shot Ben an apologetic look.

'It's alright Benji, I smoothed all of that over with Billy and convinced him to let her play Doctor with Selena to gain some experience, rather than let her fail with her first real attempt to succeed' Lucas smiled mischievously.

Not only had Ben had no idea about the incident they were referring to, he had also been unaware that Rita had gotten entangled in the Selena situation and he shot her a disapproving glance, not liking being blind sided by Lucas.

'I ain't spoken outta turn have I? You know like you did when you indicated that Caleb may have had somethin' to do with what happened to Miss Coombs?' Lucas asked feigning innocence, then sensed Ben tense instantly.

'You accused Caleb of somethin'?' Rita asked sharply, in disbelief that Ben would put himself on the Sheriff's radar like this.

'I wouldn't say accused-' Ben started to explain nervously.

'But you did insinuate a possible link to him being present around Miss Coombs' unfortunate accidents, to my wife no less' Lucas interrupted casually, ensuring to keep his rage in check so not to give Gail any reason to punish him.

Ben gulped hard at the realisation of what he had done and let out a long sigh at his own stupidity. 'Ah hell Lucas, I got him in trouble didn't I?' he asked apologetically, not meaning to cause the family any problems.

Lucas looked at Ben irritated for a moment, then his demeanour softened and he patted him on the shoulder reassuringly. Lucas always found it hard to stay mad at Ben, there was something about him which reminded him of a dopey hound and he had been cleaning up his that old hounds messes since High School. 'It's alright, she did go off on me a little about it but I smoothed it over advisin' her that you couldn't really believe Caleb did anythin' untoward...Luckily for you, I know how to disarm my wife easily' he advised, then winked at Rita playfully and smiled satisfied when she shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.

'I really didn't mean to insinuate anythin' Lucas, I was just talkin'' Ben apologised again, knowing this conversation could have gone an entirely different way if Lucas had been in a worse mood.

Lucas nodded his acceptance of the apology, then gripped Ben's shoulder sternly and pulled him close. 'Next time you feel the need to vent your suspicions, run your mouth to me. Do you understand?' he whispered sternly.

Ben nodded frantically, sensing Lucas' anger beneath his surface and let out a relieved breath when he finally released his shoulder.

'Well good, I'm glad we're all on the same page. You enjoy the rest of your evenin' now' Lucas smiled amused, then placed Luke back in the buggy and started walking back towards the footpath. His smile grew wider when he heard the raised voices of Ben and Rita, as they began snapping at each other over his intrusion.

* * *

Caleb stood transfixed outside of the large peach Bungalow that he frequented of late, ignoring Rose's disapproving comments about his presence here. His darkness was dormant for the moment; however, he knew if he took a few steps closer it would begin to stir. He had thought about what Gail had asked of him, but he was not ready to give up his play thing just yet and the thought of his Teacher defenceless in her home made him smile.

'Come on Caleb, I'm bored!' Rose whispered moodily, unable to hide her concern and jealousy over his obsession with this property and it's inhabitant.

Caleb disregarded the comment and continued to stare fixedly on the bedroom window. He knew she was in there, he could smell her and he wanted nothing more than to make his presence known to her.

Rose did not appreciate being ignored and started walking away from the property, pulling her bicycle slowly beside her. She was a smart beautiful young girl and if Caleb could not give her the attention she required, she would find someone else that would.

Caleb sensed Rose sulking as she decided to leave him and shrugged off her departure, then heard a car door slam and a loud yell coming from further up the Street. He tried to tune out the voices and focus on his Teacher; however, the man's raised voice pierced through his brain and he let out a long frustrated sigh at the interruption.

Rose stopped when she heard Caleb behind her, then she watched him confused as he walked past her and stopped further up the Street. 'What are you doin'?' she whispered nervously, as she noticed that he was watching a couple fighting.

Caleb ignored the question and stared at the large man curiously. The couple were not fighting, the woman was laying on the pavement amongst the groceries that she had dropped when the man had thrown her down. The man stood dominantly over her calling her names, then gripped her wrist tight and pulled her up towards him roughly. 'Mom never looks that frightened' Caleb said quietly, his mind going back to the few times he had witnessed his Father losing control and grabbing Gail's wrist in a similar fashion. He remembered how she just smiled devilishly at him when he tried to insert his dominance and thought it was more of a game that they were playing.

'The Sheriff wouldn't treat Gail like that, she'd never let him' Rose whispered knowingly, disgusted at the public display not far from them.

'My Daddy can be rough, I suppose Gail can to' Caleb shrugged and shifted on his feet when he felt his darkness suddenly awaken as the man lifted up his hand to strike the woman. 'Hey!' he called in a strong voice unlike his own, alerting the couple to their presence.

Rose froze on the spot when she realised that they had been spotted and placed her hand on Caleb's shoulder, not liking the way the man was looking at them. 'We need to go now' she warned and started backing away when the man took a few steps towards them.

Caleb stood tall and smiled as the man began crossing the road, he felt a surge of power flow through him and he had no desire to run from it. 'You go, I'll meet you at our spot' he ordered her and felt his darkness flood through his veins when she obediently rode away.

'I know you, you're that orphan boy the Sheriff took in so he could tap that sexy Reporter Cousin of yours...The Sheriff ain't here to protect now though is he boy?' the man stated smugly and ignored the pleading from his wife.

Caleb smiled and a look of malice came over him when the cocky man fully closed the distance between them. He had intended on being home before curfew in an attempt to show his Step Mom that he really did want to be good for her; however, all prior intentions exited his subconscious and his darkness took full hold of him.

* * *

Gail wandered into the main Study of her home holding a mug of lemon and ginger tea, watching her Son play carefully with her Daughter not far from the warm fireplace. Caleb was still out with Rose, past his curfew as usual and Lucas was yet to grace her with his presence after he had dropped the children back off home earlier.

As Luke took hold of his Sisters small hands carefully and kissed them gently, she wondered whether he would grow up with the same conflict as Caleb. Luke had been displaying disturbing signs recently, which she was not ready to fully acknowledge; however, watching him now with his Sister made her doubt what signs she thought she had picked up on and she wondered whether it was Caleb's influence that was causing certain bad behaviours in Luke.

A small tap on the window to her left caused her attention to waiver from the children and she glanced over her shoulder to see Joshua's hand pressed against the glass. Gail let out a small sigh and walked towards the window, signalling Gideon to guard the children while her attention was elsewhere and prepared herself for yet another cryptic conversation.

Joshua stared at her through the thick glass for a moment, unsure whether she would entertain him at this late hour and smiled when she unlocked the window, then pulled it up slowly and knelt down so she was eye level with him. 'Good Evenin' Mrs Buck, calm night isn't is?' he asked pleasantly, instantly enjoying her closeness to him.

Gail stared at him with mock disapproval for a moment, then smiled warmly before taking a sip of her tea and watching him silently.

Joshua narrowed his eyes at her, not used to her remaining quiet when he decided to reveal his presence and shifted a little on the spot. 'You're mad at me?' he asked finally, unsure how to take her calm demeanour.

Gail let out a small laugh and placed her mug on the window ledge, then leaned closer to her intruder. 'You sound like Caleb, is there something about me that I should be aware of that gives off a hostile vibe?' she asked sweetly, enjoying his clear uncertainty of her.

Joshua narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously for a moment, then laughed and shook his head. 'Not at all, I'm just used to 20 questions from the illustrious Gail Emory when decide I show my face' he smiled.

'Gail Buck...' she scolded him mockingly and inhaled the cool night air deeply. '...But I see your point. To what do I owe this uncharacteristic visit so close to my humble abode? Usually you're lurking in the shadows keeping your distance at this time of night'

'I decided to test the waters, see how far I can get before Master Buck senses another man in your presence' he shrugged and glanced around the area to ensure that they were not being watched.

'Man?' Gail questioned amused, 'Who are you kidding?'

'Make any good deals recently?' Joshua asked casually, ignoring her sarcastic questions and sensing her concern for her Step Son hidden beneath her calm exterior.

'I don't deal' Gail stated flatly, confused at the question. 'And my husband will be home shortly so you better make this quick'

Joshua glanced at the children, then leaned closer to her. 'You think you've fixed the original heir?' he asked curiously, knowing other parties were not impressed with her involvement in Caleb's upbringing.

'I'm hoping I've at least given Selena some time, so I can figure out the best way forward. Why do you care? You've told me before that you don't appreciate how much I interfere' Gail advised and watched Joshua closely, not trusting this visit.

Joshua laughed and shook his head. 'Maybe you're growin' on me' he smiled, amused that her guard was still up around him.

'Maybe you should just stick to watching me from afar, that seems to be what you do best' Gail responded knowingly, then closed the window abruptly and turned towards the entrance to the room when she sensed her husbands sudden presence.

Lucas entered the Study and stared around the room suspiciously, before his eyes rested on his wife and he approached her slowly.

'I didn't hear you car pull into the drive' Gail said sweetly, sensing that he had tried to catch her out and failed.

'I didn't know I was required to alert you to my presence in my own home Love, is there somethin' I need to be aware of?' Lucas asked curiously, glancing over her shoulder at the window that she was stood in front of.

'Just that you eldest is past his curfew again. Is there something I need to be aware of about his whereabouts?' she asked flatly, not allowing his suspicion to affect her.

Lucas sensed her concern and shook his head slowly. 'The boy told me of your conversation earlier and I've heard no reports about your little bird bein' hurt, I'm assumin' that's what you're referrin' to?' he asked, not impressed with her interference; however, not wanting her to be on edge either.

Gail let out a relieved breath, then took Lucas' hands instinctively and pulled them to her hips. 'So he's just out playing?' she asked and ran her lips over his fingers.

'He is' Lucas advised, smiling when she visibly relaxed and placed a soft kiss on her forehead, knowing the change in Caleb was hard on her and appreciating her commitment to their family. It was almost a shame that his Son had been honest with him about their previous conversation, it would have been nice to be able to come home with no suspicion of his wife; however, some things would never change.

Gail let out a low moan as Lucas ran his hands up her back tenderly, then took in a sharp intake of breath when he gripped her hair and pulled her head back.

'Caleb mentioned a man on my property, care to enlighten me on who's been visitin' when I'm not around?' Lucas asked forcing a calm tone, not allowing his rage to fully take hold.

Gail let out a small laugh, then gripped his throat tight and began to squeeze. 'Are we really going to show our youngest children our true colours so early in their childhood, or are we going to act like civilised parents?' she whispered through gritted teeth, not wanting Luke to be privy to their damaged personalities.

Lucas spotted Luke watching them curiously from beside his Sister out of the corner of his eye, then released Gail and began pacing the Study frustrated. 'Who is he?' he asked outright, not in the mood for any more games.

'I don't know, but he's my problem and not yours' Gail answered honestly, sensing her husband would not react well to her usual deflection tactics right now.

Lucas laughed and shook his head, of course he knew something or someone had her attention after she gave birth, he was Lucas Buck. He had chosen to allow her space to deal with it on our own, curious of whether she could really handle herself; however, he now wondered whether he had allowed her too much freedom and felt a strong urge to insert his dominance.

'I dare you to try and pull rank on me right now' she warned, sensing his thoughts and feeling her blood boiling. 'Don't you dare think it's acceptable to treat me like all of your puppets in this Town, I wouldn't be dealing with half of the things I am right now if I'd never met you!'

Lucas did not appreciate her raising her voice in front of Luke, who now looked concerned and was shielded his Sisters ears from the hostile tone. He shot Luke a reassuring glance, then dragged Gail out of the room to the large Foyer and threw her down on the stairs roughly. 'Don't act as if you're the only one who's made sacrifices Gail, you think I wanna allow you to confuse my Son about how he should be?' he asked angrily.

Gail got back up on her feet at the accusation and closed the distance between them, then stared deep into Lucas' eyes. 'If you wanted an obedient life partner, you should've stuck with your whore' she responded coldly. 'You think I want all of this darkness around my children?' she asked in disbelief of his stance.

'Says the girl who instructs her dead past self to slaughter people when they look at her the wrong way' Lucas laughed, amused at her judgement.

'You mean the dead person who showed up after I gave myself to you? The one who I had no idea about and could've happily took a pass on had I not been plagued with some dark presence within me, which is linked to you? I was fine before I was stupid enough to accept you!' Gail shouted, unable to control her anger any longer.

Caleb came through the door just in time to hear his Step Mom's angry remark and looked at his Father cautiously. When Lucas gripped the top of her arm and dragged her upstairs to the privacy of their bedroom, Caleb let out a long sigh and went to find his siblings to ensure that they were shielded from whatever was going on. He decided that he would save the details of his activities tonight until his Step Mom was in a better mood and smiled to himself, proud with how well his time had been spent.

Lucas threw Gail down angrily on the bed, then removed his waistcoat and began unbuttoning his shirt.

'Oh here we go, your answer to every problem in our relationship' Gail advised sarcastically, removing her panties then lifting up her nightdress ready for him to take her hard and punish her as usual.

Lucas let out an exasperated laugh and did not respond to the comment. He removed his pants casually, watched her instinctively get on all fours and pushed her down on her back, then parted her legs gently with his knees. 'You're infuriatin'' he advised calmly, ignoring his dark twin who was clawing to be released.

'And you're exhausting' Gail sighed and tried to move from underneath him; however, he was too strong and she was unable to prevent him from entering her.

Lucas pushed his hard manhood inside her gently, then waited a moment to allow her to get used to his length. His recent endeavours with her had been rough, due to their pure animal desire for each other; however, he believed a much softer touch was required right now, so began moving in and out of her slowly.

Gail sensed what he was going to do and attempted to push him off of her; however, he pinned her down effortlessly and kissed her passionately. She could not hold in her low moans as he took her tenderly and cursed herself for being so weak and easy to control.

'Of all the things you are Love, weak and easy to control are not one of them' he panted, reading her thoughts.

Gail tried to hold on to her anger, wanting desperately to punish him for attacking her and scraped her nails down his back hard, attempting to provoke a reaction. When Lucas just shook his head amused and began kissing her neck softly, she resigned herself to being stuck in this tender embrace and let out a long exasperated sigh.

Lucas laughed at her utter disgust at being taken so tenderly and nipped at her ear playfully. 'I'm such a devil making love to you like this' he whispered in her ear sarcastically.

'You don't know what love is' she responded coldly, then instantly regretted the bitter statement when she saw the hurt look in his eyes.

Lucas felt his rage flare up inside of him, then saw her apologetic look and let the comment go. She was just mad that she was unable to control this situation and he knew that she was aware of how important she was to him.

Gail stroked his chest lovingly, then let out a loud moan and pulled him down to her for a passionate kiss when a strong bolt of pleasure surged through her. She relaxed her body and gave her whole self to him, embracing the tenderness that he was providing her.

Lucas continued to kiss her passionately and quickened his pace slightly when he sensed her orgasm building. He was careful not to provide her release too soon and wanted to savour this feeling for as long as possible. When he was unable to control himself any longer, he let go and called out as he erupted inside of her. He smiled proudly when she yelled out his name as her climax hit and lay down on her chest as they both tried to catch their breath.

'I don't want to confuse your Son you know? I just miss my Cousin' Gail said quietly, after a few minutes of silence with him still inside of her.

Lucas inhaled deeply as he pondered her words, then lifted his head slightly to look her into her eyes. 'Your perfect sweet Cousin wasn't real, but your Son is' he advised calmly, understanding her concern but needing her to realise that she was holding on to a fantasy.

Gail thought for a moment, remembering how easily Caleb had turned on her when she was first pregnant. Now that he had accepted the darkness within him, he was more protective of her and their family than he had been when he was that innocent boy three years ago. She hated what he was becoming; however, she could not be mad at him or Lucas anymore than she can be made at herself for accepting who she truly was.

Lucas sensed her thoughts and smiled, relieved that she was finally seeing sense. Regardless of the cold words that they threw at each other at times, they were meant to be together and understood each other more than anyone else ever could. She just needed time to accept that the little boy she had first came back to Trinity for was gone and he was starting to realise his true potential.

'I don't want him going after Selena, our deal isn't done' Gail said finally, her mind travelling back to Joshua's earlier question and remembering that she had made a deal with Selena long ago to protect her from Lucas' mischief. She did not want to have to step in fully with Caleb, if she had to she would not hold back.

Lucas let out a long sigh, then pulled out of her gently and placed a soft kiss on her lips before standing up. 'A deals a deal, whether it's mine or not...that's all you had to say Love' he advised casually, then reached for his pants and left the bedroom to go check on the children.

Gail watched him leave and rolled her eyes in exasperation. Of course he would ensure the terms of her deal would be honoured, he could not have the powers that be question his conduct and she suspected that he was accustomed to adhering to certain rules, obviously tailoring them to suit his own agenda.

Gail stood up and stretched, then wrapped her dressing gown around her and peered out of the window into the large garden. She spotted Joshua instantly and shook her head, not believing her own inability to realise what she needed to get Lucas' permission to stop the assault on Selena. She smiled when Joshua bowed jokingly and then disappeared into the night, his presence was becoming more curious with each passing minute and she was determined to find out what he really wanted.

-The End-


End file.
